The Picture of Dorian Gray in a Nutshell
There are indeed such things as moral and immoral books, whether well written or badly written. Moral books show us ourselves and our place in the cosmos.
A Tale of Two Cities in a Nutshell
Charles Dickens is arguably the finest writer in the English language after Shakespeare, and his “Tale of Two Cities” is by far his most popular work.
A Christmas Carol in a Nutshell
It may be Eastertide, but Christmas is in the air as Joseph Pearce continues his review series on the classics of Western literature.
Wuthering Heights in a Nutshell
The darkness of Wuthering Heights is driven by the refusal of the novel’s principal protagonists to love their neighbors or to forgive those who have sinned against them.
The Pillaging and Plundering of the English Monasteries
The dissolution of the English monasteries is a blight on English history, and an example of a State grown out of control.
The Betrothed in a Nutshell
“The Betrothed” by Alessandro Manzoni is little known, but could be acclaimed as the greatest ever novel.
Frankenstein in a Nutshell
Mary Shelley seems to have learned the hard way that iconoclastic “freedoms” do not make men into gods, or women into goddesses, but that they turn men into monsters and women into their victims.
Pride and Prejudice in a Nutshell
Whereas sense and sensibility can be separated, with disastrous consequences, pride and prejudice are always inseparable, the former always resulting in the latter.
The Voice of a Prophet: Solzhenitsyn on the Ukraine Crisis
Solzhenitsyn insisted on the rights of localities to determine their own destinies, free from the coercive force of alien and alienating central government, whether that government was in Moscow or Kiev.
Sense and Sensibility in a Nutshell
Jane Austen is a giantess among giants, towering above the greatest writers of her own sex and indeed of both sexes. She holds her own among the greatest of all time.
Paradise Lost in a Nutshell
Milton became so heterodox, denying the Trinity and therefore the true divinity of Christ, that it is arguable that he cannot justifiably be called a Protestant or even a Christian.
The Tempest in a Nutshell
The Tempest has unfortunately suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous abuse by modern critics, particularly critical race theorists.
From the Ghetto with Love
As I overcame my fear and ignorance of the traditional liturgy, I found myself falling in love with it.
Antony and Cleopatra in a Nutshell
Following hot on the heels of Macbeth and being first performed in late 1606 or early 1607, Antony and Cleopatra might be coupled with Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s earlier tragedy about erotic recklessness, written eleven years earlier. If, however, Romeo and Juliet might be forgiven for the follies of their head-weak and heart-strong youth, no … Read more
Restoring Tradition
Editor’s Note: This is an exclusive excerpt from Joseph Pearce’s forthcoming book, Benedict XVI: Defender of the Faith. In May 2011, Georg Ratzinger, the pope’s brother, was asked during an interview what he considered to be the “focal points” of Benedict’s pontificate. Without hesitation, he singled out the pope’s efforts to restore the traditional liturgy: … Read more
Macbeth in a Nutshell
Apart from The Comedy of Errors, Macbeth, a tragedy of errors, is the shortest of Shakespeare’s plays. At only 2,107 lines it is barely half the length of Hamlet, with which it is often compared. The date of its composition is not certain, but several clues within the text suggest strongly that it was first … Read more
King Lear in a Nutshell
King Lear interweaves the story of Lear and his daughters with the parallel story of Gloucester and his sons in such a way that we cannot truly speak of plot and subplot but only of co-plots woven together with majestic skill. Lear is betrayed by the deception of his self-serving daughters Regan and Goneril; Gloucester … Read more
Othello in a Nutshell
Othello is the first of a triumvirate of tragedies written by Shakespeare during a particularly dark period of English history. Taken together with Macbeth and King Lear, both of which were written shortly afterward, Othello exhibits the angst and anger felt by Catholics following the reintroduction of laws which made the practice of the Catholic … Read more